The Book of Time

Chapter 22

Thomas still couldn't believe what just happened. Shay, of all people, had just left him there on the ground? And for what reason? What did she mean she had no one to go back to? Wasn't he enough? Even if they were only friends?

Thomas didn't move a muscle until the red light on his bracelet turned green, not that he could even if he wanted to. He used electricity in his right arm, not in the rest of his body. His muscles still ached.

He stretched out for the bracelet Shay had dropped. He clenched it in his fist. It was his only connection. What if she was in trouble? Five minutes had already passed. The door had disappeared the second she'd walked in. Where was she? Did she leave it behind because she wasn't planning on coming back?

The sand shifted beneath him. Slowly blades of grass began appearing all around him.

Thomas pushed himself up so he was sitting. All around him was grass and the tree that he'd thought was dead was covered in leaves.

Shay had done it. She'd fixed things, just like she'd said she would.

He pressed the button to put his right arm back to normal. He looked back where the door had been. There was no sign of it or her.

Five minutes. He would give her five minutes. By then he would be able to stand and go after her if she didn't come back.

Five minutes.

Just five minutes.

Still no sign of her. Something must be wrong. She wouldn't just leave him there. Everything was fine now.

Thomas staggered to the slab and tapped his tattoo against it.

Nothing happened.

He heart sunk. He had to get to her.

He tapped it again, and again, and again.

The door appeared.

He pulled it open and stepped through.

Mist. Mist everywhere. He could barely see five feet in front of him. He walked forward.

"Shay!" he shouted. "Shay! Shay!" He was getting more worried by the second. "Shay!" He saw something shiny near his foot. The compass.

Thomas held it close to his face. The arrow was pointing somewhere to his right. He went in that direction praying it was leading him to the Book and Shay.

He spotted a gazebo up ahead. There was a figure on the ground next to a stand inside. He ran towards it. Shay was sitting on the floor and leaning against the podium. A book was sitting on top of it. She looked up. She was wearing her jacket.

"Shay, is that the..." he started.

"Yes. That is the Book of Time," she said. She sighed. "Didn't you get the idea that I was telling you not to come? I literally threw away the one thing that would lead you to me. The portal shouldn't have even opened."

He crouched in front of her. "You were taking so long. I was worried."

"Long? I just stepped in and put the page back." Something seemed to click in her head. "I knew this place seemed familiar. This is where I was those four days I was missing." She looked around. "Time must flow differently here. Did it work?"

He smiled. "I think so. Grass had grown where the sand was and the tree came back to life."

She forced on a smile. "That's good." She closed her eyes.

"Shay?" Thomas asked. He patted her cheek. "Shay?" Something was wrong with her.

She opened her eyes. "Sorry. I dozed off there for a bit. Let's try to detach ourselves from the Book and leave." She reached to pull herself up. She flipped through the pages. "I'm looking for something that would help me get this bracelet off and get that tattoo removed from your arm."